Ao Li had also been cultivating diligently during this time.
But she had clearly noticed that something was wrong with her condition.
Compared to before, not only had her cultivation slowed considerably, but images of mountains of corpses and seas of blood occasionally flashed through her mind.
Now, it seemed highly likely that the Dragon Clan's karmic sin, as Tongtian had mentioned, was affecting her.
"Can this karmic sin be resolved?"
Ao Li fell silent for a moment before asking.
If the Three Clans could not bear such immense karmic consequences, their fate would only grow increasingly miserable.
Forget Primordial Golden Immortals in the future—even Grand Luo Golden Immortals might be difficult to produce.
Tongtian decisively shook his head. "These are the sins committed by the Three Clans. They cannot be resolved merely through cultivation."
"If they wish to make them dissipate, the Three Clans themselves must make amends."
"But frankly speaking, there is no way to change this in the short term."
Karmic sin was something even Hongjun had no way to resolve.
Much less the current Three Clans.
All they could do was eliminate the various hidden dangers within the Primordial World, thereby earning their clans a chance to catch their breath.
Disappointment flashed through Ao Li's eyes at his words.
Even Tongtian, a Pangu Sect Disciple, was helpless about this. What would become of the Dragon Clan's future?
"What about my uncle?"
"My uncle should be the one presiding over the Dragon Clan now, right?"
Ao Li continued asking.
Torch Dragon possessed the cultivation of a Primordial Golden Immortal. With him guarding the Dragon Clan, their situation should have stabilized.
Tongtian looked somewhat hesitant, but he still decided to tell Ao Li the truth.
"Torch Dragon pursued experts of the Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan, only to encounter Rahou."
"He has already fallen at Rahou's hands!"
Ao Li's body trembled. Did that mean the Dragon Clan did not even have a Primordial Golden Immortal anymore?
If they were facing the other races of the Primordial World, Ao Li believed that with the foundation the Dragon Clan had accumulated over the years, they should have no trouble holding their own.
But what if the Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan continued joining forces against the Dragon Clan?
Tongtian saw her concerns as well and said frankly, "The Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan have also suffered grievous losses. They will not appear in the Primordial World again."
"If you are truly worried, I can let you return to the Dragon Clan and take a look."
Ao Li was tempted by the suggestion, but after giving it careful thought, she still shook her head in refusal.
During the war among the Three Clans, she, the Dragon Clan's eldest princess, had not appeared.
If she returned to the Dragon Clan now, the entire clan would likely hold even greater grievances against her.
Besides, she was already Tongtian's mount, and she did not wish to have too many ties with the Dragon Clan anymore.
Not to mention that both her father and uncle had fallen. She was all alone in the world.
Tongtian did not know how to comfort Ao Li, so he could only signal to Xihe and Changxi with his eyes, asking them to console her.
He returned to his cave abode to continue cultivating.
The fate of the Three Clans had long been set in stone. From the moment they sought to contend for supremacy over the Primordial World, they had been destined to suffer mutually ruinous losses.
Even if someone had known this beforehand, they could not have changed it.
Because this was the will of Heaven!
What the Heavenly Dao had decreed could not be undone even by Saints.
Much less when the patriarchs of the Three Clans were only Primordial Golden Immortals!
"Ao Li, don't worry too much. At the very least, the Dragon Clan still possesses the Four Seas."
"Compared to the other two clans, their advantage is still enormous."
After thinking for a moment, Changxi spoke to console her.
Ao Li sighed softly. "The Dragon Clan has no leader, but that is not what worries me."
"I am worried that the remaining clansmen will fail to see reality and still attempt to fight for supremacy over the Primordial World."
"That would undoubtedly bring even more karmic sin and danger upon the Dragon Clan."
Xihe said softly, "In that case, Ao Li, you should thank Fellow Daoist Tongtian instead."
"If he had not taken you away from the Dragon Clan, you certainly would have taken part in the war among the Three Clans."
Even an expert like First Dragon, a Primordial Golden Immortal, had been driven to dissolve himself.
Ao Li likely would not have gained anything in that battle either.
At least now, she had been able to preserve her life.
Ao Li understood this as well, so she truly held no resentment toward Tongtian.
Not to mention that although Tongtian treated her as a mount, he had not mistreated her.
"I understand what you two sisters mean."
Ao Li let out a soft sigh.
Changxi's eyes shifted as she said directly, "Even if the three of us continue cultivating in seclusion, we likely will not improve much."
"Why don't we visit Sister Queen Mother of the West at West Kunlun?"
Thus, the three women headed for West Kunlun.
Queen Mother of the West had been waiting for the three women to visit her, so she directly invited them into her mountaintop dojo.
The dojo was filled with drifting immortal mist and abundant spiritual essence.
It did not lose out to East Kunlun in the slightest.
"Three sisters, why have only the three of you come?"
"Why did Fellow Daoist Shangqing Tongtian not come with you?"
Queen Mother of the West invited the three women to sit before asking.
Xihe took the initiative to explain, "Fellow Daoist Tongtian has important matters to attend to next."
"So he has decided to continue cultivating in seclusion."
"However, he asked me to thank you, Sister, for the Ren Water Flat Peach."
Queen Mother of the West gave a light snort at this.
That fellow had actually hidden away! He really dared to act but not admit it!
Did he think he could escape her notice?
From the questions she had previously asked the three women, she had already determined that the person who had secretly visited West Kunlun was Tongtian of the Three Pure Ones.
Because Tongtian was the only one with the time during that period!
Since he had chosen to avoid the matter, Queen Mother of the West could not say much.
She could not possibly tell the three women about it directly. She was an Innate Great Being, after all, and she still cared about her dignity!
Besides, Tongtian would have to give her an explanation sooner or later. He might evade her for a while, but she refused to believe he could hide from her forever!
"How is Fellow Daoist Tongtian's cultivation?"
Queen Mother of the West suddenly remembered this point. Earlier, she had only briefly learned about the Three Pure Ones.
She had forgotten to ask this question.
Changxi said excitedly, "Fellow Daoist Tongtian is already at the peak of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm!"
"In my opinion, he is likely not far from becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal."
"Moreover, his combat strength is formidable. Given time, he will surely become one of the top experts in the Primordial World."
"During this war among the Three Clans, he even slaughtered quite a few Demon Clan experts."
Xihe nodded as well. "Fellow Daoist Tongtian is indeed the Innate Great Being with the strongest combat strength I have ever seen."
Ao Li curled her lips. "If you ask me, the most astonishing thing is not his combat strength, but his fortune."
"I have been with him the longest. Every so often, he manages to obtain another spiritual treasure."
Listening to the three women's introduction, Queen Mother of the West was instantly dumbfounded.
Tongtian was actually this formidable?
Then she was in trouble!
She had hoped to find an opportunity to trouble him, but with such powerful cultivation, she was no match for him at all!
Could it be that she had to swallow this anger outright?
Would that not mean she had suffered such a huge loss for nothing?
This concerned her reputation. She absolutely could not let the matter rest!
Thinking this, Queen Mother of the West immediately fell into deep thought.
Xihe and the other two women did not think much of it. If they had been onlookers, they probably would have found it difficult to believe as well.
But they had personally witnessed just how powerful Tongtian was.
To say nothing else, refusing to become the disciple of an expert like Hongjun, a Primordial Golden Immortal—across the entire Primordial World, only Tongtian possessed such confidence.
While Queen Mother of the West was troubled, someone else in the Primordial World was also feeling thoroughly miserable.
Upon an immortal mountain somewhere in the Primordial World.
The two brothers, Dijun and Taiyi, stared at each other.
They had returned to the Primordial World some time ago. As the war among the Three Clans came to an end, Tongtian's reputation had already spread throughout the entire Primordial World.
Countless living beings knew how powerful Tongtian was.
He had faced Demon Clan experts alone, slaughtering them until they retreated step by step.
He also seemed to share a close relationship with Hongjun, a Primordial Golden Immortal.
Even the Dragon Clan, which had constantly declared that they would not let Tongtian off, had now completely fallen silent.
It was as though no grudges or conflicts had ever existed between them and Tongtian.
"Could this Tongtian be the one from the Sun Star?"
Taiyi asked in confusion.
Dijun was equally bewildered. A Pangu Sect Disciple, Shangqing Tongtian.
That was exactly how the Daoist on the Sun Star had introduced himself back then.
In other words, he really was the same Tongtian now renowned throughout the Primordial World.
But had he not improved far too quickly?
When he had fought them on the Sun Star, that fellow had clearly only been in the late stage of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm!
Now, he was likely only a single step away from the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
This made the two brothers feel even worse. They had been planning to seek an opportunity to retaliate once their cultivation advanced.
Then they would naturally seize the few treasures in his possession.
Yet before they could put their plan into action, the man had already become famous throughout the Primordial World!
Meanwhile, the two of them remained unknown nobodies in the Primordial World.
Was the gap between them not simply too enormous?
"Brother, do we still have a chance to take revenge?"
Taiyi muttered.
Dijun said in a deep voice, "Of course we do!"
"Our foundations are no weaker than his. Why can we not catch up to him?"
"Besides, so what if he has many spiritual treasures? You possess an Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell!"
"As long as our cultivation is not weaker than his, we can wash away our former humiliation."
Taiyi immediately gained some confidence upon hearing this.
That was right, he still possessed the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell!
This was his greatest reliance.
But then he remembered that bastard also possessed the Merit Treasure, the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda.
And it was a defensive supreme treasure.
Even if his cultivation caught up, could he truly defeat that fellow?
Taiyi fell into self-doubt.
Dijun also sighed inwardly. There was certainly no hope of revenge in the short term.
There was nothing more to say. They had better focus on cultivating!
At the same time.
A hundred thousand li beyond Kunlun Mountain.
Experts from the Phoenix Clan and Qilin Clan carried enormous quantities of heavenly treasures and earthly materials as they advanced toward Kunlun Mountain.
The procession stretched for a great distance, and the countless heavenly treasures and earthly materials were especially eye-catching.
As a result, they drew the attention of many living beings.
But upon seeing that they were from the Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan, none dared show themselves.
The Three Clans had indeed lost a great deal of their foundation during the war, but they were still the strongest forces in the Primordial World.
Besides, even a starving camel was larger than a horse. None wished to offend the Three Clans.
They were merely curious where the Three Clans were going with so many heavenly treasures and earthly materials.
"It seems the Undying Volcano truly does not have anything good."
"You are supposedly thanking someone, yet your Phoenix Clan is only bringing this little treasure?"
Ink Qilin led the Qilin Clan's side. He was a Grand Luo Golden Immortal and headed this Qilin Clan delegation.
Colorful Phoenix led the Phoenix Clan's side.
Hearing this, she said with an annoyed expression, "Your Qilin Clan may have quite a few treasures, so what!"
"Can you compare to the Dragon Clan when it comes to treasures?"
The Qilin Clan was an auspicious race; every member possessed considerable karmic fortune.
Thus, the Qilin Clan truly possessed quite a few heavenly treasures.
But compared to the Dragon Clan, they fell far short.
After all, the Dragon Clan controlled the Boundless Sea! It contained countless heavenly treasures. Even if the Dragon Clan only held a fraction of them, their foundation far surpassed that of the other two clans.
"Come to think of it, why haven't the Dragon Clan been seen lately?"
Ink Qilin asked curiously.
In the past, the Dragon Clan would never have obediently remained cooped up within the Boundless Sea like this.
Yet ever since the great war ended, the Dragon Clan seemed to have vanished from the Primordial World. At the very least, it was difficult to spot any Dragon Clan members on the lands of the Primordial World.
"Heh, Torch Dragon of the Dragon Clan has disappeared."
"The Dragon Clan offended so many living beings in the Primordial World before. How would they dare to roam about freely?"
"They should count themselves fortunate if they can hold on to the Boundless Sea."
Colorful Phoenix spoke with disdain.
Then both their expressions dimmed somewhat. Back then, how imposing had the Three Clans been?
Now, the Qilin Clan had hidden away in the Central Continent, while the Phoenix Clan remained huddled near the Undying Volcano.
In this regard, the Dragon Clan had actually fared better than them. Though they had to suppress the sea eyes, they still controlled the lands of the Four Seas.
As they spoke, they arrived at the foot of Kunlun Mountain.
Gazing at the towering Kunlun Mountain, Ink Qilin and Colorful Phoenix exchanged a glance, then immediately led their people up the mountain.
Kunlun Mountain, at its summit.
Laozi and Yuanshi, who were in seclusion, also sensed a great number of living beings ascending Kunlun Mountain.
Both of them were furious.
"The Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan have already declined, yet they still dare to be so rude!"
"They are utterly arrogant."
"Do they think Pangu Sect Disciples are easy to bully?"
Yuanshi flew into a rage.
He despised these furred and horned creatures the most. Who would have thought they would be so brazen?
They had actually come directly to Kunlun Mountain.
Laozi's expression was equally furious, and he immediately flew down the mountain.
"Impudence!"
"Why have you trespassed upon Kunlun Mountain?"
"Kunlun Mountain is the sacred ground of us Three Pure Ones. Leave at once."
"Otherwise, do not blame us brothers for failing to warn you!"
Laozi and Yuanshi appeared together, Laozi's voice echoing throughout the surrounding area.
Ink Qilin and Colorful Phoenix, who were still making their way forward, immediately raised their hands. The two groups halted at once.
Ink Qilin sized the two of them up, then stepped forward with clasped hands. "You two must be the other two among the Three Pure Ones, correct?"
"Please do not misunderstand. We have come to deliver heavenly treasures."
"We have no intention of offending the Three Pure Ones."
Colorful Phoenix also said earnestly, "We came to express our gratitude for Fellow Daoist Tongtian's assistance."
"You two should be Fellow Daoist Tongtian's younger brothers, correct?"
"Could you inform Fellow Daoist Tongtian for us?"
Both of them possessed the cultivation of Grand Luo Golden Immortals, so they could naturally tell that Laozi and Yuanshi's cultivation was roughly on par with their own.
Tongtian, however, had already reached the peak of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm.
Therefore, among the Three Pure Ones, Shangqing Tongtian must surely hold the highest status.
As Laozi and Yuanshi listened to Ink Qilin's explanation, they were initially completely bewildered.
But when they heard Colorful Phoenix's words, their faces instantly turned pitch-black.
What kind of nonsense was that?!
What exactly was this person seeing to mistake the two of them for Tongtian's younger brothers?
Their cultivation was indeed inferior to Tongtian's, but they still had the dignity and pride of elder brothers!
This was utterly infuriating!
Were it not for the fact that they had come bearing gifts, the two of them would certainly have taught them that Pangu Sect Disciples could not be insulted!
At that moment, Tongtian, who was cultivating in seclusion atop Kunlun Mountain, also sensed someone mentioning him.
He spread out his divine sense to take a look and was immediately astonished.
The Qilin Clan and Phoenix Clan were actually this thoughtful?
Before you continue